Local process equipment in substation automation or distribution automation systems, such as circuit breakers and transformers, are normally controlled and/or protected by intelligent electronic devices (IEDs). These intelligent electronic devices in many cases communicate with other higher control and protection level devices using a computer communication system. When an intelligent electronic device is to be configured it would then normally receive a configuration file over such a computer communication network.
However, not all intelligent electronic devices are provided with this communication ability. Some may be provided as isolated devices being separated from such a computer communication network. In this case other ways of configuring the intelligent electronic device has to be provided.
One way to provide configurations to an intelligent electronic device is through the use of a portable non-volatile data carrier, such as a memory stick, which is brought and connected to the device in question.
This has been described in relation to other fields of technology.
US 2002/0092018, which is related to the field of cable or satellite television, does for instance describe the use of a memory stick for providing a boot loader program and an alternative application software program, an upgraded application software program or a corrective application software program to a set top box. The boot loader program also checks to see if the software is valid.
US 2007/0106764 describes configuration of a consumer electronic device, like a television set. Network configurations are here provided to a configuration-file transfer device including a USB memory and IR transmitter. The configuration file is then transmitted to the consumer device using the IR transmitter. The document also mentions that the configuration file can include other data, such as user personalization data.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,842,794 describes how a flash memory device gets connected to a data processing system and then activates this system. There are however no configurations.
In relation to intelligent electronic devices WO 2007/036178 describes using keys provided in a USB memory for verifying a user according to defined user types.
The document “SetITV4, Leistungsmerkmale net-line Stationsleittechnik” dated Nov. 15, 2007 and downloadable from www.saeit.de/pool/download/Leistungsmerkmale_setITV4.pdf briefly mentions that IEC61850 compliant devices can be configured via a USB memory stick.
In order to lower the costs of these types of isolated intelligent electronic devices, the number of user interfaces are often kept to a minimum. This means that for instance keyboards or keypads as well as displays may not be present.
An intelligent electronic device may furthermore be modular in that it includes various hardware modules providing different function of the IED. One way of providing modularized hardware for an intelligent electronic device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,191,076. Here there is an intelligent electronic device having a base module to which external function modules can be attached. These external function modules offer expandable features such as additional power management, additional communications, advanced communications, wireless communications, analog and digital input/output, data logging etc.
However, before the isolated IED with a limited number of user interfaces and being made of such modular hardware is activated it may be of interest to make further investigations concerning the device for enhancing the security. This may be hard to do given the limited number of user interfaces.
There is therefore a need for improvement in relation to performing configuration of an isolated intelligent electronic device.